November - December 2012

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Chairman's Messageby Barbara Hoffman . . . . .

Gift Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nature Store News . . . . . . . . . . .Friends Annual Meeting Nov.10. .Fall Wildflower Festival Success.Butterfly Encounter Thank You . .Pardneship with Florida Youth Conservation Center Network. .Bats program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Using Wildflowers at Home

by Craig Huegel . . . . . . . . .Field Trip Position . . . . . . . . . . . .New Friends Book Club . . . . . . . .News from Wildflower Garden

& Tip by Pam Brown . . . . .Volunteer News

by Lara Miller . . . . . . . . .Upcoming Programs & Events . . . .Mission Statements/Contacts . . .

Newsletter of the

Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve

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Chairman’s MessageBy Barb Hoffman

The Year in ReviewWe certainly are an active organization! As Ilook back on our accomplishments for 2012, Iam amazed at the diversity of our projects andthe amount of time and effort we devote. Hereis a list of our projects in no particular order:

-- Trial Improv/Dinner – a test as a futurefundraiser – it was a complete success!-- Wilderness Trail Hike – over 8 miles fromone end of the Preserve to the other. Webecame aware of the poor conditions of thesecond half of this trail and have lobbiedsuccessfully for permission to reroute the trailto create a trail more pleasurable for hikers.-- Friends Nature Store – a successful yearshowing over $1,000 profit! We moved it toits new location and there is now room forgrowth!-- Friends Book Club – which meets once permonth on the first Saturday, 9-11. Led byLaurie Angyn, this book club focuses on Floridaauthors and Florida politics and natural history.-- New signs along the loop drive – successfullylobbied for new signage that more effectivelyreflects the nature of the Preserve… ANDprovides correct information.-- Wildlife Safari – a successful event for the2nd year bringing in 450 people in one day.-- Fall Wildflower Festival – a successful eventfor the 3rd year bringing in 650 people in oneday.-- Tri-County Trail Task Force – the Friendswere the catalyst and play an integral role inthis Pinellas-Pasco-Hillsborough group ofgovernment planners and interested citizens to

create a regional bicycle trail connectingBrooker Creek Preserve to the world.-- A World-Class Newsletter – published everytwo months, filled with beautiful pictures ofthe Preserve, a calendar of events, great naturalhistory information, volunteer news andopportunities, and much more.-- Youth Programs beyond the Ed Center –through many meetings, we helped with thedecision for Sensing Nature to provide youthprograms beyond the walls of the Ed Center inpartnership with Florida Youth ConservationCenter Network.-- Wildflower Garden – continued maintainingthis very beautiful centerpiece of the Ed Center.-- Annual Meeting – an annual celebration witha delicious lunch for all.

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Barb

Nature Store NewsKathleen Nichter

We had an eventful time at the Nature Store thelast two months. We moved, renamed the store,and saw sales increase with the coming of Fall.

A Birthday or Holiday Gift Idea!Consider giving a membership as a gift! For$50, a gift package will be mailed to therecipient. The package will contain a BrookerCreek Preserve t-shirt (you choose size andcolor), the book Mysteries of Brooker Creek,a Brooker Creek Preserve canvas tote bag,a set of 6 Brooker Creek Preserve postcards, and a Brooker Creek Preserve pin. Agift card recognizing your personal gift willbe enclosed. We do all the mailing, and youget all the glory. We get a new member andyou have done something good for the Pre-serve - a win-win combination! Emailfobcp@tampabay.rr.com if you interested.

The Move As most of you noticed, ourmerchandise outgrew the lobby area. The newsection for books really showed us we neededmore space. We spent a lot of time arrangingthings to get it all displayed without lookingcluttered. On Monday, October 22, 2012 wemade the move to the former store area. Peoplenow have room to browse, glance through thebooks, peruse the laminated field guides, andtake their time.

The Name We always referred to the store asa gift shop. However, our stated merchandisingposition said that all merchandise must pertainto Brooker Creek Preserve. After some awkwardexplanations to people asking us to carry giftbut not nature related items, and some oddlyworded communications referring to the storeas a “gift and nature shop”, we decided the timehad come to make a commitment. We are nowthe “Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve NatureStore”.

Sales and the Wildflower FestivalAfter a very slow summer season for the store,cooler weather has returned and along with itthe visitors to the Preserve. Sales in Octoberbroke our previous record with over $850 inreceipts. The Wildflower Festival accountedfor $432, a 60% increase over last year.Laminated field guides and the new selection ofbooks proved very popular.

New Merchandise We added nature themedChristmas ornaments this year, and the firstweek in December we take delivery of naturethemed ceramics including wall plaques,refrigerator magnets, and pendants for necklaces.Check us out for your holiday gift giving.

We need volunteers to staff the Nature Store.Right now we are very short on volunteers forSaturdays, historically our busiest day. Weoffer training, a nice environment, and a lovelyview of the Preserve through all those windows.Some very energetic squirrels provideentertainment while competing with the birdsfor the bird seed on the boardwalk just outsidethe store. Let us know if you can help.

Look to the Future

We are excited about continuing all the above,but adding these to the list:-- Walk for Wildlife – a one-day fundraiserpromoting our Brooker trails and wildlifeprotection.-- Family Campout - a Saturday-Sundayadventure for Friends families with tenting, acampfire, hiking, songs, stories, and, of course,s’mores at the Brooker campsite.-- Adult Field Trips-- Off the Beaten Path Hike Series – we took ayear off, but excited to begin again-- Adult Ecology Workshops

I am so grateful for the many Friends we have,and happy to have YOU along this ride! Here’sto a fantastic year behind us and to a wonderfulyear ahead!

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Come one, come all!Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve

- ANNUAL MEETING -

CELEBRATE THE PRESERVE!

Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012Brooker Creek Preserve

Environmental Education Center

Join us for a guided walk along the Ed Center and/or FlatwoodsTrails.

11:00 a.m. Ed Center AuditoriumLunch Enjoy a host of delicious, catered goodies— soups, salads,

fruits, and home-made desserts!Annual Summary & Look to the Future,

Barbara Hoffman, ChairPreserve & Ed Center Updates,

Preserve StaffBoard Elections & Misc. Business

Hiking trails & Exhibit Hall will be open!Get your holiday shopping started at our new Nature Store!

RSVP by 11/8/12!Voicemail 727-934-2680

Email fobcp@tampabay.rr.com Feel free to invite potential new members!

Butterfly Encounter~ sponsored by ~

Progress Energy& Anonymous

Carrie Root, Ph.D.Carson Family Care Center

Ecological Services AssociatesDoug Eiland, M.D., Radiology Assoc. of Tarpon Springs

Evan Earle, Jr. and Marion YongueFriends of Brooker Creek Preserve

The Garden Club of Tarpon Springs, Inc.Hoffman Architects, PA

In Memory of Ty MiramontiThe Morrow Family

Nichter PhotographyPalm Harbor Garden ClubPampered Gardeners, LLC

Kim and Chuck ParsonsThe Reker Family

Waddell & Reed Financial AdvisorsJulie WadeLois Weber

Wilcox Nursery and Landscape

Thank you to the sponsors of the butterfly tent! We could not have thisevent without you!

2012 Fall Wildflower Festival -- a huge success!

Over 650 people attended the Fall Wildflower Festival on Saturday, October 27! The festival hadsomething for everyone – presentations, a plant sale, a wildflower scavenger hunt, a live honeybeehive, and the main attraction, a huge butterfly tent filled with 250 butterflies!

This event is completely organized and conducted by Friends membersand Preserve volunteers who gave 203 hours of their time on the dayof the event. Of course, many, many hours of volunteer time went intopre-event planning and organizing as well.

The event was chaired by Friends member and Preserve volunteer,Laurie Angyn, who did an outstanding job! We thank you, Laurie, foryour leadership and organization skills, and we celebrate with you theevent’s success!

Photos from theButterfly Encounter

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Brooker Creek Preserve – part of the FloridaYouth Conservation Center Network

The Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Edu-cation Center is now an official partner with theFlorida Youth Conservation Center Network(FYCCN). What is FYCCN? The website,www.fyccn.org, states:

"This bold new program jointly sponsored by theFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commis-sion (FWC) and the Wildlife Foundation of Floridaleads the effort to reconnect Florida’s childrenwith traditional outdoor activities."

A statewide network of conservation centers, itis designed to encourage and empower kids toparticipate in traditional outdoor recreation.Experts teach them how to safely enjoy the out-door heritage we have worked so hard to main-tain. The FYCCN includes Wild Outdoor Hubsoffering deep-woods experiences that connect toNear Outdoor Centers offering experiences clos-est to children in their everyday lives.

Already in operation, the FYCCN is proving tobe a formidable weapon in the fightagainst too much time spent indoors

with electronic media and too little time spentoutdoors with nature.Today’s children are increasingly discon-nected from nature. They devote nearly eighthours a day to entertainment media and “me-dia multi-tasking,” while the number who spendtime hunting and fishing continues to declinedramatically. This is a problem because weknow that kids who do not directly engage inthe outdoors are less likely to develop astrong stewardship ethic for conservingAmerica’s wildlife. To put it plainly, if theydo not make the connection, they are not go-ing to be concerned about the wild outdoorsthat our generation has protected.

We have to develop breakthrough approachesfor understanding and overcoming the barri-ers to youth participation in traditional out-door activities. Then we have to create des-tinations that are magnets for our youngpeople. In other words, make them want to gooutside. The Wildlife Foundation of Floridaand the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission(FWC) have created a bold new program, theFlorida Youth Conservation Centers Network

(FYCCN) that will do just that.

BATS!On October 20, the Friends sponsored aprogram on Bats of Florida. Given by FloridaBat Conservancy from Fort Myers, childrenand adults learned about the ecologicalimportance of bats and how beneficial theyare. For example, a single bat can eat 3,000mosquitos in one night! Cindi Marks broughtwith her several bats that are now captivedue to some sort of injury. She showed themto the audience and everyone got a chance tosee bats up close and personal.

These boys enjoyed being upclose and personal with the bats.

A captive Brazilian Free-tailed Bat. This is a full-size adult, typical of thesize of all bats in Florida.

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Using Wildflowers At HomeBy: Craig Huegel

The Annual Fall Wildflower Festival has passedonce again. Hopefully, you were one of the manyhundreds that attended this year and maybeyou were one of those that took home a fewwildflowers to add to your landscape. If youwere, I congratulate you on your wise choice todo so. I have had a fondness for wildflowersfor most of my life, and have spent a good partof it working with wildflowers and encouragingothers to use them effectively.

There are many good reasons to plantwildflowers in our home landscapes. For one, Iadmire their simple beauty. Though fewwildflowers produce the show-stopping pizzazzof some of the common horticultural strains,there is just something elegant in my mind abouttheir simplicity. As a very young child of nomore than 3 or 4 years old, I went with mygrandfather to purchase cut wildflowers for aspecial occasion. As we drove out of the citylimits and into the surrounding countryside, Isensed something truly special was taking place.I retraced that trip many times into my earlyadulthood, even after the business had closed,and I will forever harbor a special place in myheart for black-eyed susans and purpleconeflowers. I have them to this day around myhome in Pinellas. Wildflowers do not have tobe gaudy to be beautiful. They have innerbeauty – a trait we undervalue far too much intoday’s society; beauty that comes from whatthey do, not just from what they look like.

What wildflowers do is provide us with anecological value never considered by most non-natives commonly planted in Florida. They aremuch more than a “pretty face”. Over themillions of years since flowering plants emergedon earth, they have done so hand-in-hand withpollinating insects. Less than 25% of allflowering plants are pollinated by wind. Thatmeans that 3 out of every 4 rely on animals;most of those being bees, wasps, butterflies,beetles, and pollinating flies. It is estimated

that the pollination services of native insectsis worth more than $4 billion annually to ournation’s economy. It is 10 times that when youinclude the services of the European honey bee.But as great as this is, these numbers do notinclude the value they provide wildlife that relyon the seeds and fruit produced by native plantsthey also pollinate. Our life would be close tosterile if not for pollinators and pollinatorsdepend on flowers.

Over the course of the last century,horticulturalists have gone out of their way toproduce cultivated flowers that largely bypasspollinators to survive. Our roses no longer havefragrance; they are just showy. Double andtriple hibiscus have gaudy floppy flowers notduplicated by the simple native species, buttheir size and conformation make it impossiblefor pollinators to reach their interior andpollinate them. The same is true for manyflowers that have been standards of the annual

Attracting butterflies, like this red-banded hairstreak, are one of the perksto adding wildflowers to your landscape.

Wildflowers also attract a hugediversity of beautiful native bees,such as this green metallic bee.

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trade – marigolds, zinnias, and the like. Mulemarigolds are not produced by seed, but bytissue culture because their complex flowersmake pollination by insects impossible.

We are in the midst of a pollinator crisisbrought on by our reliance on new-agepesticides and by unchecked development thathas put patches of native wildflowers out ofreach from each other. Linking natural landstogether by creating pollinator corridors is anidea with data to prove it works. Pollinatorswill cross between native lands if they are linkedby developed landscapes that incorporatewildflowers. We can stem much of thedevastating impacts recently seen to honeybeesand native insects by adding wildflowers to ourlandscapes and by eliminating our use ofpesticides.

I believe that wildflowers alsogive us a sense of place that isimpossible with semi-tropicalsand other non-natives. Folkslike myself that arrive from thenorth often remark that Floridahas no seasons… That is simplynot true, but our seasonalchanges are far more subtlethan they are in Michigan andMassachusetts. Thatsubtleness gets completelyobscured in landscapes builtaround tropical plants.Native wildflowers do notbloom year round; they havedistinct blooming seasons. Inmy landscape, I always knowwhat season it is by what isin bloom, and I live inconstant anticipation of whatwill be blooming in the daysahead. Too few of us createlandscapes that create thiskind of anticipation. I believestrongly that wildflowers areone of the best tickets tomaking us want to journey

This blazing star, (Liatris spicata), makes asuperb wildflower for the home landscape

The wildflower garden at Brooker CreekPreserve makes a beautiful showing in falland could be easily duplicated at home.

into our landscapes, not just passively look atthem from the outside.

Using the right wildflower in the right placealso helps us reduce our need to water, fertilize,and spray. Such practices are not only costly,they are exceedingly detrimental to our ecology.Native wildflowers, used correctly, are adaptedto Florida and they will thrive without muchfussing. That just seems to make sense.

So, if you came home with some wildflowers, Icongratulate you. If you didn’t, you should giveit some consideration. If you need some help inhow to garden with them, I have written a bookthat might help: Native Wildflowers and otherGround Covers for Florida Landscapes,University of Florida Press. It is available inmost book stores and online book outlets. I

also write a blog on Floridawildflowers that you can read forfree: http://www.blogger.com. Getthe information you need, thenpurchase the right plants for yourlandscape goals. And, when you havedone all that, explore your yard thesame way you would venture intoBrooker Creek Preserve.

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Update on Field Trip Position Announced in the last Newsletter

A new program funded by Florida Federation of Wildlife began about one year ago called theFlorida Youth Conservation Center Network (you can view their website at www.fyccn.org). BrookerCreek Preserve Environmental Education Center recently became one of the centers for this programwhich aims to get children outdoors. In so doing, a local nature education company, Sensing Nature,will be organizing and conducting the field trips at Brooker for all youth through FYCCN. SensingNature also is doing the youth programs for Weedon Island Preserve. They have a staff of educatorsand the ability to handle groups over 100 students, an amount far more than the one person weconsidered employing at Brooker. Having FYCCN as a partner with Brooker Creek Preserve will not only bring funding to Brooker butalso more people and increased awareness. We are excited about this. Many meetings and muchthought went into this choice. We are confident in Sensing Nature’s ability and approach to teachingBrooker natural history, and we are delighted that one of the main goals for FYCCN is that theprograms for youth be fun. Even though FYCCN and Sensing Nature will be dealing with youth groups, our Friends group will beorganizing and conducting adult groups. This is a recent decision. Although we have not nailed downthe specifics, we will be charging a nominal fee for conducting the field trips. In turn, we will begiving the field trip leaders, who we hope to have a group of eight or so, a small stipend for doing theguidance. This will in no way be a full time position and will most likely be one or two field trips permonth.

Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve Book ClubOur new Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve Book Club began in September! We meet the firstSaturday of each month in the conference room of the Educational Center at Brooker CreekPreserve from 9:30 to 10:30 am. There is room for up to 11 participants. The theme is Florida.The book list includes novels by Florida authors, past and present, archeology, biography, poli-tics and history. Friends member and Preserve volunteer, Laurie Angyn, is the facilitator. Toregister, go to The Eventbrite page at BrookerCreekPreserve.org. Upcoming books on our list:

November: Totch - A Life in the Everglades by Loren G. "Totch" BrownDecember: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal HurstonJanuary: Vanishing Florida: A Personal Guide to Sights Rarely Seen by David T. WarnerFebruary: Digging Miami by Robert S. Carr (Archeology)March: From Yellow Dog Democrats to Red State Republicans: FL Politics from 1940 by

David R. ColburnApril: The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan RawlingsMay: Rose Cottage Chronicles - Civil War Letters of the

Bryant-Stephens Families of Northern FLJune: Sunshine Paradise: A History of Florida Tourism by

Tracy J. RevelsJuly: Star Island - by Carl HiaasenAugust: Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams: A Social

History of Modern Florida by Gar R. Mormino

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Pam’s Gardening TipNeed a large interesting shrub or small tree for anunderstory area with some shade? Either of the nativeFlorida star anise (Illicium floridanum) or Florida yellowanise (Illicium parviflorum) would be a good choice.

Florida star anise (I. floridanum) grows into a six to tenfeet tall rounded shrub. It prefers part sun, but thins outin dense shade. Florida anise appreciates rich soil and amplemoisture but will easily survive harsher conditions. It is aneasy-to-grow, pest-free shrub. Once established it will needwatering only during long periods of drought and pruningonce a year to maintain its shrub form. It can be prunedand trained into a small, multi-trunked or single-trunkedtree. The reddish-purple, starry, two-inch flowers appearin the spring. The cultivar ‘Album’ has white flowers. Thestar-shaped seed pods look like the common anise spice seedpods of the Asian variety of this plant, but they are notedible.

Yellow anise (I. parviflorum) is larger than star anise growing15 to 20 feet tall with a spread of 10 to 20 feet. Thegrowing conditions are similar to those for star anise. Thesmall yellow bell-shaped flowers are sweetly fragrant andfollowed by the same inedible star-shaped seed pods. Theleaves of both these plants have a hint of licorice whencrushed. This plant is listed as endangered in the wild. Giveyellow anise room to grow as it is too large to use as afoundation plant, even when pruned.

News from the WildflowerGarden By Pam BrownSeveral new plants have been added to the WildflowerGarden. Two varieties of native milkweed, a pine hyacinthand native rain lilies were added in September along withdwarf Walter’s viburnum, Florida privet, coontie, and privetcassia in the new Native Shrub Demonstration Area. Thenarrow-leaf sunflower and liatris (blazing star orgayfeather) are blooming spectacularly. We had a goodgroup of volunteers (Pam, Laurie, Barb, Lois, and Pat) onSeptember 28th getting the garden ready for the FallWildflower Festival.

Mark your calendar for the next volunteer workday in theWildflower Garden on December 8th from 9:00 to 11:00a.m. We normally work in the garden the last Saturday ofeach month, but must deviate due to the Wildflower Festivaland Thanksgiving weekend. We provide breakfast snacksand need you to provide your own gloves and tools.

Laurie deadheading.

Florida star anise

Pat spreading mulch.

Yellow anise

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Volunteer News

Education Center StatisticsBetween January 1, 2012 and September 30, 2012, the Education Center has seen 13,021visitors! This would not be possible without the help and dedication of over 30 volunteerscontributing 3,673 volunteer hours. Thank you for all that you do to make this a wonderfulexperience for all of our visitors!

Saturday, November 3rd from 11:00am-1:30pmNovember 3rd is our End of the Year Volunteer Meeting! All Brooker Creek Preservevolunteers are welcome to join us for a celebration of your efforts for 2012. A review ofthe year will be presented followed by plans for 2013 and updates from the Friends andmore! Lunch will be provided by the Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve and we thank themin advance for this J During lunch, environmental scientist, Cynthia Grizzle will give apresentation on the gopher tortoises just for you! We look forward to having you andcelebrating another successful year at Brooker Creek Preserve’s Environmental Education Center.

Great American Teach-InAre you interested in volunteering your time to visit a classroom and teach students aboutInsect Phermones?! If so, the Great American Teach-In takes place on Thursday, November15th. Training for this event will be conducted by the 4-H Faculty, Jean Rogalsky andmaterials are derived from the Junior Master Gardener series. If you are interested inparticipating in this event, please contact Lara to RSVP (lmiller@pinellascounty.org) If youhave a relationship with a particular school, then you are welcome to work with that school.Jean usually has many requests from the community so we can certainly help to place volunteersfor this event. After you have been trained, you will be provided with the material necessaryto work with the students in the schools J

By Lara MillerNatural Resource AgentPinellas County ExtensionUniversity of Florida/IFAS

Friends of Brooker CreekNew Members

Michael Hughes, Renee Feinman, AnnFarrior Johnson, Betsy and Scott Tay-lor, Bob and Linda Murphy, and CynthiaMiller, Barbara Genthner Moritz, Jerryand Wanda Kimsey

If you would like to join our ac-tive volunteer group at BrookerCreek Preserve, please call usat (727) 453-6800.

Brooker Creek PreserveEnvironmental Education Center

Upcoming Events3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs.

(727) 453-6800www.brookercreekpreserve.org

November 2012 ProgramsNov. 1, 8, 15, 29Book Time at Brooker, 10:30 - 11:15Children ages 3 to 5 connect to the wonders ofthe natural world through a story and a craft,game or other hands-on activity. Free; advanceregistration required.

Nov. 3, 17Brooker Creek Guided Hike, 9:00 - 10:30 amSee how the land has changed over time and theecological footprints left by those changes.Closed-toe shoes, water and hat recommended.Best for ages 6 and older. Free; advanceregistration required.

Nov. 10, 8:00 - 10:30 amBirds of Brooker Hike: Join this special hikeidentifying common birds of Brooker CreekPreserve. Meander along the one-mile trail togather information on the birds seen and heard.Binoculars will be helpful. Bring water.

Nov. 17, 10:30 am - noonIntroduction to Plant Identification: Join alocal Extension specialist and examine the basicsof plant identification, from using simple keysto identifying critical characteristics that willhelp any would-be botanist in the field. Anemphasis will be placed on flowering plants, butferns will be included as well. Registration isrequired and all materials will be provided. Wearcomfortable shoes, as part of the class will beoutdoors. Free; advance registration required.

Nov. 24, 9:00 - 11:30 amBrooker Creek Extended Guided Hike: Atrained volunteer guide will conduct a 2.8-to4-mile walk to look at how the land has changedover time and discuss the ecological footprints

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left by those changes. Insect repellent maybe helpful. A hat, sunglasses and sunscreen alongwith sturdy closed-toe shoes are a must, andwater and a hat are recommended. All ages arewelcome; children under the age of 16 must beaccompanied by an adult; those younger than10 may find this hike challenging. Free; advanceregistration required.

October 2012 ProgramsDec. 1Living in Paradise – Looking for the AncientPeople of Florida’s Central Gulf Coast: Thepeople native to the Americas, were foreverchanged at the moment of contact with theEuropean invasion more than 500 year ago. Whowere the people living on the Central Gulf Coastof Florida and how did they see their new world?Artists and storytellers, Hermann Trappmanand Elizabeth Neily will explore these people,their environmental history relative to Floridaand the archaeological evidence left by the firstpeople of Florida. 10:30 a.m. to noon. Free;advance registration required.

Dec. 1, 15, 29Brooker Creek Guided Hike, 9:00 - 10:30 amSee how the land has changed over time and theecological footprints left by those changes.Closed-toe shoes, water and hat recommended.Best for ages 6 and older. Free; advanceregistration required.

Photo by Mike Young

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Dec. 6, 13, 20, 27Book Time at Brooker, 10:30 - 11:15 amChildren ages 3 to 5 connect to the wonders ofthe natural world through a story and a craft,game or other hands-on activity. Free; advanceregistration required.

Dec. 8, 8:00 - 10:30 amBirds of Brooker Hike: Join this special hikeidentifying common birds of Brooker CreekPreserve. Meander along the one-mile trail togather information on the birds seen and heard.Binoculars will be helpful. Bring water.

Dec. 8, 10:30 am - noonBirds in Florida Gardens: Interested in howto attract birds to Florida gardens using Floridanative plants? W hat birds to expect in yourFlorida garden? How do you identify them? LynnSumerson will explain why birds are attractedto gardens. Free; advance registration required.

Dec. 15, 1:00 - 2:00 pmBirds of Prey – Adaptations for Success andRoles in the Ecosystem: This presentation willinclude several live birds of prey which will beused to illustrate aspects of predator-preyrelationships, adaptations that ensure theirsuccess as predators and their role in maintaininghealthy, balanced ecosystems. The basic naturalhistory of each species will also be discussed,along with the impact of humans on their habitatsand populations. Free; advance registrationrequired.

Dec. 22, 9:00 - 11:30 amExtended Brooker Creek Guided Hike: Atrained volunteer guide will conduct a 2.8-to

4-mile walk to look at how the land has changedover time and discuss the ecological footprintsleft by those changes. Insect repellent may behelpful. A hat, sunglasses and sunscreen alongwith sturdy closed-toe shoes are a must, andwater and a hat are recommended. All ages arewelcome; children under the age of 16 must beaccompanied by an adult; those younger than10 may find this hike challenging. Free; advanceregistration required.

Preserve and Education CenterClosed for Holidays

All county governed parks and preserves areclosed on the day after Thanksgiving (Friday,November 23rd) and December 25. Thepreserve will be open on Thanksgiving Day(Thursday, November 22nd) but the EducationalCenter will be closed.

BCP Environmental EducationCenter --Staying in the Loop

Don’t forget to like us on facebook –Brooker Creek Preserve EnvironmentalEducation Center

Feel free to join Timely Topics and ThinkingGreen blogs written by various PinellasCounty Extension agents on relative issuesand topics related to our community

Have a question, but can’t find the answer?Visit www.AskExtension.org or stop by theEducation Center and drop your questioninto the “Ask an Agent” box.

Did you know?The donations we receive in the donationboxes in the Education Center areearmarked for programs at the Preserve.Nearly all natural history programs at thePreserve are sponsored by the Friendsusing this funding.

Friends of Brooker Creek3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs,FL 34688. Please use this address onany correspondence.

Friends of Brooker CreekOfficersChair: Barbara HoffmanVice Chair: Cathie FosterVice Chair: Allyn ChildressSecretary: Chuck ParsonsTreasurer: Carson Morrow

Board MembersBusiness Affairs: Robert HostPublicity Chair: Barbara SchultzLand Use Chair: Dr. Craig HuegelMembership Chair: Dr. Carrie RootNewsletter Editor: Dr. Craig HuegelBird Feeders & Historian: Ken RoweWildflower Garden: Pam BrownPast Chairman: Walt Hoskins

This newsletter is published every othermonth. Please submit articles to News-letter Editor Dr. Craig Huegel (727)422-6583 or email Huegelc55@aol.com

Friends of Brooker Creek website:www.FriendsOfBrookerCreekPreserve.org

To contact The Friends:Email: fobcp@tampabay.rr.comPhone: (727) 934-2680 (please leave a mes-sage and your phone number for a return call)

Brooker Creek Preserve:Phone: (727) 453-6900Website: www.brookercreekpreserve.org

The Brooker Creek Preserve EnvironmentalEducation Center is located at 3940 KeystoneRoad, Tarpon Springs, Florida, 34688.Phone: (727) 453-6800Center Hours: Thurs. – Sat. 9 am – 4 pm

Preserve Hiking Trails open 7 days a week (ex-cept for day after Thanksgiving and Dec. 25),7:00 am to sunset.Horse Trails open 7 days a week, all year, sun-rise to sunset.Friends Trail is now open. The bridge is fixedand ready for hikers!

Registration Info: FEID #59-3302182 tax-exempt, non-profit corporationA COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OFCONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (1-800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLYENDORSMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. REGISTRATION NUMBER CH. 16077

Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve - MissionStatementThe mission of the Friends of Brooker Creek Pre-serve is to provide public support for the Pre-serve through fund raising, volunteer programs,and education to ensure that the Preserve remainsa natural wilderness for future generations.

Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve – Land UsePosition StatementThe Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve supportland uses within the boundaries of Brooker CreekPreserve which have a main purpose that furthersthe preservation, conservation, restoration or pro-tection of the land and resources of the BrookerCreek Preserve.

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Current mission statement of the ParksDepartment – it is at least three years oldand does not reflect the many changes instaffing and resources over that time. Thenewly formed Parks and ConservationResources Department has not yet developedmission/vision statements.

The mission of the Pinellas County ParkDepartment is to provide a continuingprogram of acquisition, development,maintenance, and protection of park areasfor healthful outdoor activities.

Newsletter Publisher/Artist: CathyVogelsong